3 Unusual Materials To Use For Your Next Craft Project

Feb 10th 2015

Image © Homestead Weaver Blog

Necessity may be the mother of invention, but sometimes it's fun to try something new just because. This month, we're exploring ways to think outside the box, no matter which craft you prefer! While commercially-available yarns and fibers are always a wonderful choice due to their plentiful supply and ease of use, perhaps it's time to shake up your usual routine with these three unique materials you most likely already have lying around the house!

Plastic Bags: Plastic bags kind of have a bad rap; many cities have voted to ban them completely, and it's true that they can cause quite a problem for wildlife and vegetation if they are improperly disposed of instead of being recycled. However, this clever tutorial shows just how easy it is to turn an ordinary plastic bag into a ball of "yarn" ready to be woven, crocheted, or knitted. A rug made from plastic bags can not only be chic, but it's a wonderfully waterproof way to greet visitors at your front door! Click here to see more examples of rugs which are woven out of plastic bags.
T-Shirts: Breathe new life into old t-shirts by converting them into a long continuous strip of fabric which can then be woven, crocheted or knitted into a variety of useful items! Rugs, baskets, and more will look just dandy in those colorful tees you no longer wear. Here are a few free project ideas to get you started: Knit T-Shirt Rug, Braided T-Shirt Rug, Crochet T-Shirt Basket.
Image © Callaloo Soup
Newspaper: This one even took us by surprise, but newspaper can be spun into some rather striking yarn! We first came across this idea here on the Resourceful Nomad blog. While it does take quite a bit of time and patience (click here for a step-by-step photo tutorial), the resulting yarn is pretty nifty. From there, it can be integrated into a weaving project (click here for some inspirational ideas), used to knit or crochet a variety of objects, or just put on display because it looks so lovely on the bobbin!

All the best,

Chris, Nancy, and the entire Woolery team